The Sunday Mail
Sunday Mail Reporters
The revised enrolment requirements for trainee nurses, which, among other specifications, expect applicants to have five Ordinary level subjects from one sitting, will help eliminate corruption in the health services sector and improve the quality of local health personnel, Harare Central Hospital chief executive officer Dr Nyasha Masuka has said.
The new basic minimum requirements will become effective from May next year.
It is believed that recruitment will be limited to those between the ages of 18 and 30.
Dr Masuka told The Sunday Mail that the new standards will restore the integrity of the sector.
“The one-sitting policy move will indeed go a long way in cleaning up the health sector, which has its integrity tainted in the recent past. Through this move, we are sure that only quality will be enrolled, quality will be employed and I am sure that combined with principled, well-cultured and committed tutors, we will bring the honour that the sector had lost,” he said.
Dr Masuka said in the past, corruption issues and recruitment scandals have rocked the sector and with the one-sitting policy in place, transparency is guaranteed.
“There have been numerous complaints from the general citizenry over the way health workers, particularly nurses, have been mistreating people in health institutions.
“That is a clear picture that our facilities are full of people who do not qualify to be there, but if we are to only recruit the best, we have people who know their duties and what is expected from them.”
Government, through the Ministry of Health and Childcare, spelt out the new entry requirements in a circular on October 10 this year.
“Applications for the above registered course (general nurse training course from May 2019) should be between 18 and 30. Applicants must have five ‘O’ level passes in one sitting with grade C or better. The subjects should include English Language, Mathematics and a science subject. The two other subjects exclude practical subjects such as woodwork, building, metal work and fashion and fabrics.”
Labour experts say tight conditions in the labour market have forced many people to join the profession out of desperation.
First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa – who is also health ambassador – and Health and Childcare Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo have been relentlessly pushing for improved patient care at the country’s health institutions.
The First Lady last week encouraged health experts to improve on service delivery. She was speaking at the launch of the Ministry of Health and Child Care Client Satisfaction Programme in Harare.
“Today we have entered into a covenant with our customer. Let us go all out to deliver on our commitments. Above all, let us make our services accessible to our customers.
“Our customers need a listening ear to address their concerns. Furthermore, we all need information for the discussion making whether it is the user or provider of the service.
“Already, customers have highlighted areas of concern and I believe the current system needs to be revamped so that information is managed along defined channels,” she said.
Before the recent intervention by the new political administration, patient care had been progressively deteriorating.
